Video-scope in electronic endoscope apparatus

1. A video-scope of an electronic endoscope apparatus, which has an image sensor and which is selectively connectable to plural types of video-processors, the video-scope comprising:

a memory that stores a plurality of register setting data, said plurality of register setting data being associated with signal processes for processing image signals read from said image sensor, said plurality of register setting data associated with the plural types of video-processors, the register setting data being defined in accordance with at least one of a characteristic of a signal processing circuit that is provided in each of the plural types of video-processors, a characteristic of a light source unit that has a light source and a collecting mirror and a characteristic of a collecting optical system that collects light from the light source so that the light enters a fiber-optic bundle provided in said video-scope;

a signal processor that is provided in said video-scope and that processes the image signals;

a video-processor detector that detects type information of a video-processor connected to said video-scope; and

a data setter that reads register setting data corresponding to the detected type information from said memory; and that writes the register setting data in a register provided in said signal processor,

wherein said signal processor processes the image signals in accordance with the register setting data in said register.

2. The video-scope of claim 1 , wherein said memory is an erasable memory.

3. The video-scope of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of register setting data is associated with primary types of video-processors and improved video-processors, said video-processor detector detects a primary type number and a version number assigned to said improved video-processors, said data setter reads register setting data associated with the primary type number and the version number of said connected video-processor from said memory, and writes the read register setting data in said register.

4. An apparatus for setting data associated with signal processes performed in a video-scope of an electronic endoscope apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a memory that stores a plurality of register setting data, which is associated with the signal processes said plurality of register setting data associated with plural types of video-processors, the register setting data being defined in accordance with at least one of a characteristic of a signal processing circuit that is provided in each of the plural types of video-processors, a characteristic of a light source unit that has a light source and a collecting mirror and a characteristic of a collecting optical system that collects light from the light source so that the light enters a fiber-optic bundle provided in said video-scope;

a video-processor detector that detects type information of a video-processor connected to the video-scope; and

a data setter that reads register setting data corresponding to the detected type information from said memory, and writes the register setting data in a register in a signal processor that processes image signals read from an image sensor provided in said video-scope,

wherein said signal processor processes the image signals in accordance with the register setting data in said register.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein said memory is an erasable memory.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of register setting data is associated with primary types of video-processors and improved video-processors, said video-processor detector detects a primary type number and a version number assigned to the improved video-processors, said data setter reads register setting data associated with the primary type number and the version number of the connected video-processor from the memory, and writes the read register setting data in the register.

7. A computer program product embodied in computer readable medium for setting data associated with signal processes performed in a video-scope of an electronic endoscope apparatus, the computer program product comprising:

a video-processor detector that detects type information of a video-processor connected to the video-scope; and

a data setter that reads register setting data corresponding to the detected type information from a memory that stores a plurality of register setting data, which is associated with the signal processes, said plurality of register setting data associated with plural types of video-processors, said data setter writing the register setting data in a register in a signal processor that processes image signals read from an image sensor provided in said video-scope, the register setting data being defined in accordance with at least one of a characteristic of a signal processing circuit that is provided in each of the plural types of video-processors, a characteristic of a light source unit that has a light source and a collecting mirror, and a characteristic of a collecting optical system that collects light from the light source so that the light enters a fiber-optic bundle provided in said video-scope,

wherein said signal processor processes the image signals in accordance with the register setting data in said register.

8. The computer program product of claim 7 , wherein said memory is a erasable memory.

9. The computer program product of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of register setting data is associated with primary types of video-processors and improved video-processors, said video-processor detector detects a primary type number and a version number assigned to said improved video-processors, said data setter reads register setting data associated with the primary type number and the version number of said connected video-processor from said memory, and writes the read register setting data in said register.

10. A method for setting data associated with signal processes performed in a video-scope of an electronic endoscope apparatus, the method comprising:

detecting type information of a connected video-processor;

reading register setting data corresponding to the type of video-processor connected to the video-scope from a memory that stores a plurality of register setting data, which is associated with the signal processes, the plurality of register setting data associated with plural types of video-processors, the register setting data being defined in accordance with at least one of a characteristic of a signal processing circuit that is provided in each of the plural types of video-processors, a characteristic of a light source unit that has a light source and a collecting mirror, and a characteristic of a collecting optical system that collects light from the light source so that the light enters a fiber-optic bundle provided in the video-scope; and

writing the register setting data in a register in a signal processor that processes image signals read from an image sensor provided in the video-scope, the signal processor processing the image signals in accordance with the register setting data in the register.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the memory is an erasable memory.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of register setting data is associated with primary types of video-processors and improved video-processors, the detecting detects a primary type number and a version number assigned to the improved video-processors, the reading reads register setting data associated with the primary type number and the version number of the connected video-processor from the memory, and writes the read register setting data in the register.